Today in round 9 we have Billy Brake, who is fresh off of another top from last weekend, going up against Jordan Winters. Both players are 6-2 heading into round 9, and the winner here will likely make the top cut. They're both playing Dragons, and like any other mirror match, a clutch Crimson Blader will likely seal the game for whoever makes the play.

Billy won the die roll, and he started the game off by ditching Tempest and Debris to add Blaster to his hand. He banished Tidal and Blaster to special summon Redox in defense mode. Jordan responded with a preemptive Maxx "C." Billy added Tidal and Blaster to hand via their effects. He set two to the backrow and ended.

Jordan's opening hand consisted of Cards of Consonance, Redox, Dragon Ravine, Mystical Space Typhoon, Debris Dragon and Swift Scarecrow. He activated Cards of Consonance discarding Debris Dragon, which netted him a Dragon Ravine and a Redox. He activated Ravine and pitched Redox to send Blaster to the graveyard. Then banished Blaster and Maxx "C" to special summon Redox in defense, and added a Blaster to hand via Blaster's effect. He set a card to his backrow, and during the end phase had it spun back to the top of the deck by Phoenix Wing Wind Blast. Billy discarded Tidal for the cost.

Play was back to Billy, who started his turn off by banishing Debris Dragon and Tempest to special summon Tidal. He added Debris Dragon to hand via Tempest's effect. Then, without hesitation, flipped up Return from the Different Dimension. Bringing back a Tidal, Blaster, Debris Dragon and Tempest. He then xyz summoned a Dracossack using the Tidal and Tempest he pulled from Return. Then proceeded to synchro summon Star Eater by sending Blaster and Debris to the graveyard. He activated Dracossack's effect to special summon two tokens by detaching Tempest. Then he tributed off Dracossack as the cost to activate its effect, targeting Redox. Jordan had no response, and Redox bit the dust. Billy had a field of two Mecha Phantom Beast tokens and a Star Eater, to Jordan's lone Dragon Ravine. He proceeded to summon Debris Dragon with no available targets in the graveyard. He tuned his Debris Dragon with a token and brought out an Ancient Fairy Dragon. Ancient Fairy Dragon popped Jordan's Ravine, netting Billy a Ravine of his own, as well as 1000 life points. Then he banished 2 Debris Dragon from the graveyard to special summon a Blaster in attack mode. He entered battle phase and struck first with Star Eater for 3200, essentially nullifying any potential Swift Scarecrow play. Then Blaster attempted to swing and Jordan dropped the Scarecrow. On point read by Billy Brake. Main Phase 2 he overlayed Ancient Fairy Dragon and the Tidal he had brought out earlier in the turn for Dracossack. He activated the Ravine he had just searched off of Ancient Fairy Dragon and pitched a Redox to send another Redox from the deck to the graveyard. Then he banished a Tempest and Redox to special summon Redox from the graveyard. Blaster and Redox then overlayed to make yet another Dracossack, and he tributed off his last token to destroy his own Star Eater. He detached for one of the Dracossack's and put 2 tokens on the field. His field stood with 2 Dracossacks and 2 Mecha Phantom Beast tokens. A very strong turn for Billy Brake.

Jordan drew for turn and fanned out his graveyard. He had Debris Dragon, Redox and Swift Scarecrow in the graveyard available for banish fodder. In hand he had Blaster, Redox, Ravine and MST. Plays were most certainly available, but he'd be hard pressed to emulate Billy's long string of plays. He started things off by activating a Ravine of his own. He pitched Redox from hand to send a Tempest to the graveyard. Redox came down in defense, banishing Tempest and Swift Scarecrow. Tempest grabbed a Debris Dragon to his hand. Then Blaster hit the field, banishing his in graveyard Redox and the Debris Dragon he had just searched. He normal summoned the Debris Dragon he had in his hand at the start of the turn. Debris and Blaster hit the tokens, and in main phase 2 he overlayed Redox and Blaster for a Big Eye in defense. Big Eye took a Dracossack by detaching Blaster, and then he used Dracossack to bring out 2 tokens of his own. Debris and a token tuned together to make an Ancient Fairy Dragon and Jordan popped his own Ravine to grab another from the deck, as well as gain 1000 life points. He then popped off his Dracossack to destroy Billy's Dracossack. He set one card to his backrow and passed turn. An almost equally strong turn for Jordan.

Billy drew for turn and had 2 Tidal, Tempest, Blaster, Redox, 3 Dracossack and an Ancient Fairy available to banish in the graveyard. He banished 2 Dracossacks to special summon Tempest. Then Ancient Fairy and Tidal to special Tidal. He overlayed with Tidal and Tempest for Big eye. Big Eye detached Tempest to take Jordan's Big Eye. Billy then used Jordan's Big Eye to take Jordan's Ancient Fairy Dragon. He normal summoned Dragunity Corsesca and tuned it with Ancient Fairy for Scrap Dragon. Billy used Scrap Dragon's effect, targeting his own Big Eye and Jordan's face down Mystical Space Typhoon. Jordan flipped it up and conceded instantly, unable to take the coming damage.

After some very impressive plays by both players, Billy takes game one.

*Before the second game started, Billy proposed that both players side out Return from the Different Dimension so that game 2 and 3 would be more fair. This is a growing trend that has emerged this weekend at the ARG Circuit Series.

Game 2

Jordan started game 2 off with 2 Tidals, 2 Raigeki Break, Tempest and Sacred Sword of the Seven Stars. He activated Tidal's effect, ditching itself alongside another Tidal to send a Blaster to the graveyard. Then followed up with a Sacred Sword, banishing Tempest. This netted him a Dark Hole and a Maxx "C." Tempest searched out another copy of itself. He set 2 cards to his backrow and passed.

Billy activated a Sacred Sword of his own, banishing a Blaster. He chose to not use Blaster's search effect. Billy ditched a Blaster and a Trigon to hit one of Jordan's face down cards, a Raigeki Break. Then followed it up with an MST hitting the other face down Raigeki Break. He set one card to his backrow and passed turn.

Jordan drew an MST for turn and immediately used it to destroy Billy's face down Debunk, a pretty clutch hit in the mirror match. He then banished Tidal and Tempest to special summon Blaster. He added a Tidal and a Corsesca off of their respective effects. He normal summoned the Corsesca and punched in 3600 damage with Blaster and Corsesca. In main phase 2 he synchro summoned for Colossal Fighter. He set a card to his back row and ended turn.

Play was back to Billy, who activated yet another Sacred Sword, and once again banished a Blaster. Off of Blaster he searched a Flamvell Guard. He activated MST targeting Jordan's face down Dark Hole. Then followed up by summoning Debris Dragon, targeting his in graveyard Trigon. Jordan immediately dropped the Maxx "C." Billy pondered for a second and decided to take the Maxx "C' challenge. Trigon hit the field and was tuned with Debris to make an Ancient Fairy Dragon. Billy activated a Dragon Ravine and pitched the freshly searched Flamvell Guard to send a Redox to the graveyard. He popped his own Ravine to add another to his hand, and gained 1000 life points in the process. Billy banished the Flamvell Guard and Debris Dragon to special summon Redox, then overlayed Redox with Ancient Fairy for Dracossack. Dracossack detached to bring out two tokens, then tributed itself to hit Jordan's Colossal Fighter, then Billy ended turn.

Jordan drew a Card Trooper for turn. He summoned it milling Dragon Ravine, Phoenix Wing Wind Blast and Flamvell Guard. He banished Flamvell Guard and Dragunity Corsesca to special summon Blaster. Then as he went to special summon Redox, Billy scooped knowing he was facing lethal damage.

Jordan Winters fights back and we're going to game 3.

Game 3

Billy kicked off game 3 with Tidal's effect, ditching an additional copy of itself to send a Blaster from the deck to the graveyard. Blaster then brought itself back from the grave by banishing a Tidal and a Tempest(from hand). Tempest added a Debris Dragon to Billy's hand, and he set a card to the backrow to end his turn.

Jordan's hand consisted of Poki Draco, Card Trooper, Raigeki Break, Dragon Ravine, Debris Dragon and Mystical Space Typhoon. Without hesitation he activated MST, targeting Billy's face down Dust Tornado. Following that up, he summoned Card Trooper and milled 3 cards from the top of the deck to the graveyard. Those cards were Redox, Sacred Sword of the Seven Stars and Dragon Ravine. He activated the Dragon Ravine from his hand, pitching Poki Draco to send a Blaster from the deck to the graveyard. Then he sent his Card Trooper head on into Blaster(likely to avoid a Crimson Blader play by Billy on the next turn). He took 900 damage and drew a Maxx "C' off of Card Trooper's effect. In main phase 2 he banished a Blaster and Poki Draco to special a Redox in defense. After some thought, Billy responded with Maxx "C." Jordan added a Blaster off of Blaster's effect, set a card and ended turn. Blaster bounced back to Billy's hand.

Billy was on the play, and he started off by ditching a Blaster and Trigon to destroy Jordan's face down Raigeki Break. He followed up with a Debris Dragon, targeting his freshly discarded Trigon. Jordan responded with Maxx "C" and the game was looking eerily similar to game 2. Jordan drew a Sacred Sword off of the "C." Billy proceeded to tune Trigon and Debris Dragon to make an Ancient Fairy Dragon, netting Jordan an additional card, a Redox. Billy used Ancient Fairy to destroy Jordan's Ravine and searched one of his own, while also gaining 1000 life points in the process. He set a card to his backrow and ended turn.

Jordan drew an MST. He activated Sacred Sword banishing Blaster, drawing Trooper and Castle of Dragon Souls. He searched Blaster off of Blaster's eff. He summoned Debris targeting Card Trooper, and Billy had no response. Card Trooper paid cost for its effect, and milled Dragunity Corsesca, Phoenix Wing Wing Blast and Terraforming. Not what he wanted to see. He followed up by synchro summoning for Black Rose Dragon, blowing up the field. Jordan banished Black Rose and Maxx "C' to special summon Redox in defense position, set a card and ended turn.

Billy fanned through his graveyard and decided to summon Debris Dragon, targeting Trigon yet again. Jordan had no response, and Billy remarked, "really, no Maxx "C" this time?!" He synchro summoned for a Black Rose Dragon of his own. When he attempted to destroy the field, Jordan chained Castle of Dragon Souls. He targeted Redox and pulled back a banished Blaster. Time was called immediately after that and life stood at Billy's 9000 and Jordan's 7100. Billy banished Tidal and Debris Dragon to special summon Blaster. He added a Tidal off of Tidal's effect, then activated Terraforming searching a Ravine. He played the Ravine and discarded a Tidal to send a Redox to the graveyard. Redox then special summoned itself by banishing Ancient Fairy Dragon and Maxx "C." He overlayed the Redox and Blaster for a Dracossack, and detached Blaster to activate Dracossack's effect. Two tokens hit the field and Billy tributed his Dracossack to destroy Jordan's Blaster.

Jordan drew Redox for turn 1 of time. He summoned Card Trooper and milled Electric Virus, DDR and Maxx "C." Then followed up by discarding 2 Redox to bring back Corsesca. He banished those 2 Redox to bring back Blaster. Trooper and Corsesca attacked over Billy's 2 Mecha Phantom Beast tokens and Blaster struck directly for 2800. Life stood at Billy's 6200 to Jordan's 7100. Main phase 2 he synchro summoned for Scrap Dragon with Corsesca and Blaster. Then he banished Blaster and Corsesca to special summon Tempest in defense position.

Turn 2 of time Billy played Ravine. He ditched Sacred Sword to send Tempest to the graveyard. He banished Blaster and Dracossack for Tempest. He searched Flamvell guard off of Blaster, then summoned the Guard. He banished Trigon and Debris for Redox. Then synchro sumoned Flamvell Guard and Redox for Crimson Blader. He banished Flamvell Guard and Black Rose for Tidal. Overlayed Tidal and Tempest for Big Eye in defense. He used Big Eye's effect by detaching Tempest to take Scrap Dragon. Crimson Blader struck over the Tempest, effectively shutting off Jordan's next turn, and Scrap Dragon hit directly for 2800. Life stood at Billy's 6200 and Jordan's 4300.

Jordan drew for turn 3 of time, Dark Hole. While a good top deck, he was still locked out of plays due to a timely Crimson Blader. He played the Dark Hole and revealed his only card in hand, a Blaster. Knowing Billy could do lethal damage next turn, Jordan offered the handshake.